RDP houses in the province transferred to beneficiaries less than eight years ago, which have been sold by their owners, will be confiscated and given to the needy, says Housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela.

Location specific audits have revealed that in some cases, as in George, up to 90 percent of RDP houses have been sold by beneficiaries, and a visit by former housing MEC Richard Dyantyi in 2008 revealed that up to 60 percent of RDP houses in Du Noon had been sold or let.

But Madikizela said the Housing Act stipulated that the RDP housing beneficiaries were not allowed to sell their houses within an eight year period, and his department was to audit the 101 000 housing subsidies granted since 2002.

“The houses that are returned to the Department in terms of the pre-emptive right clause (in the Housing Act) will be reallocated by municipalities to qualifying people in terms of the relevant criteria,” said Madikizela.

“We will find a way that government reclaim the houses (RDP) and give them to the needy.”

But he said the magnitude of the problem had to first be determined.

To this end his department was busy drafting terms of reference to appoint a service provider to analyse the status of all state-funded housing projects.

He said the survey to be conducted by an appointed service provider would also establish how many title deeds still needed to be transferred to beneficiaries and, where title deeds had not been handed over, what the reasons for the delay were.

“It is anticipated that this survey of our projects will be concluded by the end of the financial year (31 March 2011). However, once we have some preliminary data from this study we will already be in a position to start to plot a way forward in dealing with this matter.”

In Du Noon residents were scared to speak about the sales and ownership of RDP houses, saying they feared being killed if they spoke out about what exactly was happening.

Community leader Madlomo Ndamane said the sale of RDP houses was “a hot business” in the township.

“Its a big problem.”

She said beneficiaries sold their house, and then once they had spent their money, tried to reclaim it.

She also said there were people who were approved RDP house beneficiaries, but never occupied their house, suggesting that money could have exchanged hands and other people were given the houses instead.

Meanwhile, the City has admitted that it was battling to issue title deeds to approved RDP housing beneficiaries in the metro.

Land acquisition specialist in the city's housing directorate, Marlize Odendal said in many cases the occupants of RDP houses were not the official beneficiaries, which made it difficult for the city to issue title deeds.

“It’s a general problem (issuing of title deeds) and its country wide,” said Odendal.

A senior city official in the housing directorate, who did not want to be named as he was not sure he was allowed to speak to the press, said the process of issuing title deeds in Du Noon was suspended last year as city-contracted workers received death threats from residents.

Blaauwberg sub-council chair Heather Brenner confirmed that city efforts to investigate “approved beneficiaries” of RDP houses in Du Noon had been continuously disrupted by people who did not want the project to move forward.

Brenner said of about 1000 RDP houses in Du Noon, half of them had been investigated and were occupied by official beneficiaries, but the remainder were unknown and under suspicion because residents there had threatened city contractors.

“It’s been a very frustrating exercise, true beneficiaries have been waiting for ten years to get their title deeds. They deserve them.”

Odendal said similar problems had been experienced in Gugulethu and Langa. - Peter Luhanga, West Cape News

My one lecturer is doing research into a phenonemen in Du Noon where RDP houses have been torn down and re built on the same site but instead of there been a house there are now 20 "flats" of something like 5 sqm each, which are then been rented at very high rates

Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille (right), the first home recipient, Margaret Erasmus, Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Ian Nielson, Ishmail Essa and Nizaam Essa of Asrin at the ceremonial ribbon cutting and handover of keys at Olive Close in Melkbosch Village at Melkbosstrand.

A new era in “subsidised” housing was ushered in recently when Asrin Property Developers handed over the first 34 units in its subsidised Olive Close social housing component (destined to have 100 units) at Melkbosch Village in Melkbosstrand.

The handover was attended by Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, who said she “could not resist coming to take a look at” the project which had been close to her heart for some time.

Zille said that when she was mayor of Cape Town she and her housing team had investigated new ways of financing much needed quality housing for those who could not afford it.

“We talked to the banks and to private developers,” she said, “and it became clear that cross-subsidisation could provide an answer. This project is the first to show that cross-subsidisation can be highly effective.”

The Deputy Mayor, Alderman Ian Nielson, said the project had been conceived eight years ago and the council had to work through several challenges before it was satisfied that it had the correct formula.

“In this model that evolved here the developer of the larger free enterprise project and the Province contributed to the cost of the new units. The developers’ input was about R100 000 a unit. Asrin was the right developer for the project because its tender conformed to all the stipulated rulings ensuring the delivery of a quality product.”

Nielson said this project was the first in the Western Cape to be “fully integrated” into a more upmarket precinct and he congratulated the people of Melkbosstrand for being prepared to accept this. Those from disadvantaged communities now moving in would face some challenges in adapting, but ongoing work by the developer and Council’s social facilitators had already smoothed the path here.

Gaff Khan, a director of Asrin, thanked the architect for the scheme, Mike Wolters, who cleverly maintained the same look and aesthetics on the subsidised houses as was used on the more expensive units.

The 148 people attending the handover accompanied the visiting dignitaries and the first home recipient, Margaret Erasmus, to a ceremonial ribbon cutting and key handover.

The new houses all have open plan living, dining and kitchen areas, one bathroom and two bedrooms. All come with already approved plans for a third bedroom, which the new owners can add on when it suits them.

Ishmail Essa, chief executive of Asrin, said the development had been 100% successful so far and the subsidies should be recovered down the line.

The City’s refurbishment programme for its rental stock, the Community Residential Unit (CRU) upgrade project, has been launched in Marble Flats, Ottery.

All 43 of the four-storey blocks of flats between Daniel Avenue and Ivan Road will be renovated at a cost of over R100 million.

The renovation is part of the first phase of the CRU project, which started in January, with the aim of refurbishing 7 775 CRU rental unit properties in 11 project areas across Cape Town in terms of the National CRU Policy. These include Scottsville, Scottsdene, Manenberg, Heideveld, Hanover Park, Uitsig, Woodlands, Connaught and The Range in Elsies River, Marble Flats in Ottery, and Kewtown. Marble Flats is the sixth area to receive an upgrade.

“This project is an important part of the City’s plan to provide quality living environments for our residents and we are very excited to launch this important project in Marble Flats,” said Alderman Plato at the launch.

During the upgrade, the following work will be undertaken:

Repairs to leaks and blocked sewers

Repairs to plumbing installations

Rewiring of the entire electrical installation

Repairs to deteriorating staircases

Repairs to leaking roofs, fascias, gutters and down pipes

Repairs to doors and windows

Installation of new kitchen sink units

Laying of vinyl flooring

Laying of new wall tiling

Improvements to refuse collection areas

Improved security, i.e. repair of fences and gates

The blocks at Marble Flats have been divided into two areas, namely A and B, and work is expected to commence in mid-September 2010. Area A includes the following courts: Rooikrans, Euston, Mayfair, Hohonot, Harmony, Kerneels, Woodgate, Skyline, Rosen, Sherwood, Impala, Milwood, Bethal, Leon, Rust, Belle, New Haven and Bloem.

Work will be completed on a block-by-block basis and refurbishment work on each block is expected to take approximately two months. Area A should therefore be completed within 24 months, after which work on Area B will commence in August 2012.

Residents of each block will need to move out temporarily to allow contractors to renovate an entire block at one time. The City is preparing a temporary accommodation village on the field next to Edward Avenue.

This arrangement for temporary accommodation does not, however, apply to backyard dwellers, because the National CRU Policy does not make provision for backyard dwellers. The City therefore appeals to backyard dwellers to make alternative arrangements during the two-month construction period for their block. During this time, the whole block will be declared a construction site and scaffolding will be erected to repair and paint windows and walls.

Planning for the CRU project began two years ago when Aurecon was appointed to assist with the project management of the region. The Project Steering Committee, comprising elected representatives from each block, facilitated communication and community participation aspects while a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) conducted surveys to assess the level of work needed.

The City invited applications to tender for completion of the upgrade work. Tenderers were required to specify the amount of local labour opportunities they were prepared to provide and this formed part of the adjudication. The tender for Area A was awarded to Vusela Construction and 52.5 percent of labour will be sourced from the local subcouncil database of unemployed people in the area. Almost R2.5 million has been set aside for the employment of local labour.

A CLO will also be appointed for each contract area. The CLO position for Area A has already been advertised in community newspapers and on the City’s Subcouncil notice boards.

The Leo Mews gap housing development in
Elsies River is the result of a groundbreaking partnership between the City of Cape Town,
the Standard Bank of South Africa and Bitol Development.

This medium density, aesthetically pleasing apartment complex, which was officially
opened on 21 September 2009 by Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, Premier of the Western Cape Helen Zille and other City officials, comprises two bedroom units with fitted carpets and tiles, secure parking, a CCTV monitoring system and access control. The apartments have solar hot water systems to save electricity, and water recovery, recycling and re-use systems to conserve water and save money. There is a system for reclaiming ‘grey water’ used for household purposes and storage, and a reclaimable water system is used for toilets and lawn irrigation. All units have been equipped with waste separation bins divided into compartments for glass, paper, aluminum, plastic and non-recyclable goods.

“Standard Bank and Bitol supplied housing that, apart from its price, would not be out of place in more up-market residential areas," said Kevin Duncan, Managing Director of Standard Bank’s Integrated Residential Developments division (IRDev). "The developer also spent considerable time helping residents in a nearby older area with maintenance and cosmetic changes that improved the entire area - reducing the contrast between the old and the new in Elsies River. As a result there is a strong sense of community between new residents in Leo Mews and established residents in the area.

"The Leo Mews development sets new standards in the industry, being constructed in alignment with the Five-Star Green Building rating system."

There are 125 units in the development. Prices range between R237 000 and R254 000.

Potential buyers need to earn R7 200 or more per month to qualify for a bank loan and acquire finance directly from Standard Bank. The City will prioritise people who meet the income criteria on its integrated housing database.
"We are proud of the Leo Mews development, which is innovative, eco-friendly and provides accommodation to a segment of the population that has traditionally been excluded from quality accommodation because of affordability issues. This is an excellent example of what can be achieved when a municipality, financial institution and developer have a strong partnership.”“We believe that the development contributes significantly to the economic and social upliftment of the community,” said Duncan.

The development won a Southern African Housing Foundation merit award in October 2009. The award is given to organisations that 'identify, encourage and promote good practice in housing design development and management’. It is also awarded for ‘innovative use and management of human resources, financing options and technologies as well as the contribution to community development and management.’

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